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Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off

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  Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> - 2026-08-07 09:34 -0800
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-07 19:53 +0200
      Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-07 19:05 +0100
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-07 18:57 +0100
      Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-08 13:49 +0100
        Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 16:17 +0200
          Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-08 15:37 +0100
            Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:08 +0200
              Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:28 +0200
              Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-08 18:35 +0100
                Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:51 +0200
                Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-08-08 20:50 +0200
        Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 14:52 +0000
          Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-08 17:20 +0100
            Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:06 +0000
              Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-09 15:58 +0100
                Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-09 16:10 +0100
                  Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-09 18:43 +0100
                Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2026-08-09 17:49 +0200
                  Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-09 22:23 +0200
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-07 19:14 +0100
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-08-07 19:32 +0000
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Jörg Lorenz <hugybear@gmx.net> - 2026-08-07 22:37 +0200
    Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:06 +0200
      Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:06 +0000
        Re: Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-08-09 17:03 +0200

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#154768 — Google Wanting to Track Phone When Phone Is Off

I added a parking program to my phone and all of sudden Google started 
offering things.  One of the offers was to track my phone when it was off. 
I answered no.  Is there a way I can check that the Samsung Android phone is 
not being tracked when it is turned off (powered down)?
-- 
<Bill>

Brought to you from Anchorage, Alaska 

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#154769

On 2026-08-07 19:34, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> I added a parking program to my phone and all of sudden Google started
> offering things.  One of the offers was to track my phone when it was off.
> I answered no.  Is there a way I can check that the Samsung Android phone is
> not being tracked when it is turned off (powered down)?

It is not possible to track a phone when it is off, unless one of the 
features of the phone is including a low power passive tracker gadget 
like those they sell to track suitcases in planes.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#154771

"Carlos E.R." wrote:

> It is not possible to track a phone when it is off, unless one of the 
> features of the phone is including a low power passive tracker gadget

Phones do exist with those beacons included (at least Pixel10 have it, 
wouldn't surprise me if other flagships now too) but let's ignore those 
for this thread unless we know the phone in question has that feature?

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#154770

Bill Bradshaw wrote:

> Is there a way I can check that the Samsung Android phone is
> not being tracked when it is turned off (powered down)?

is that screen off, android still running in background

phone totally powered down by long press of power button

let's ignore any bluetooth trackable even when apparently off modes

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#154798

On 07/08/2026 18:57, Andy Burns wrote:
> Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> 
>> Is there a way I can check that the Samsung Android phone is
>> not being tracked when it is turned off (powered down)?
> 
> is that screen off, android still running in background
> 
> phone totally powered down by long press of power button
> 
> let's ignore any bluetooth trackable even when apparently off modes

Any idea how this is done? From 
<https://oppostore.co.uk/blog/locate-a-Lost-Cell-Phone-that-is-Turned-OFF>:

"How to find lost phone which is switched off using IMEI number?

IMEI number is basically an identity code of the phone that helps 
locating even when one’s phone is off. This 15-digit code comes with 
unique form for every smartphone and is mostly written on the box or 
inside packaging. It can be provided to the police to help locating the 
phone if it is misplaced or lost."

-- 
Jeff

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#154801

Jeff, others,

> "How to find lost phone which is switched off using IMEI number?
>
> IMEI number is basically an identity code of the phone
[snip]

A bit lower it says this :

[quote]
Can You Track a Phone If It Is Switched Off?

Yes, you can track the lost mobile phone if it's lost as well as switched
off with the Google Maps. Just by checking out the history of your device
timeline, *you can track where your phone was active last time*.
[/quote]

(bolding mine)

Although the first line says "yes", the rest of it says "no" : You can
recover *where it was when it was on* using Googles services - but that
won't help in any way if the phone is moved after it has been switched off.

Bottom line : the answer to the OPs question seems to be "no".

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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#154802

R.Wieser wrote:

> Although the first line says "yes", the rest of it says "no" : You can
> recover where it was when it was on using Googles services - but that
> won't help in any way if the phone is moved after it has been switched off.

For Pixel 8/9/10 phones there's more to it than that;  even after the 
phone is switched "off" or has shutdown due to low battery, there is a 
low power processor which in the background transmits pre-encrypted 
bluetooth beacons giving the phone's ID.  Other android phones which are 
nearby can receive these and relay them to google, along with the 
location of that phone, which is a proxy for the location where the lost 
phone is at a later time.

> Bottom line : the answer to the OPs question seems to be "no".

However it seems that Samsung phones haven't got that functionality, so 
"no" may wel lbe the correct answer.

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#154809

Andy,

> For Pixel 8/9/10 phones there's more to it than that;  even after the 
> phone is switched "off" or has shutdown due to low battery, there is
> a low power processor which in the background transmits pre-
> encrypted bluetooth beacons giving the phone's ID.

Carlos mentioned something similar.   Just don't lose you phone in any kind 
uf rural area (BLE is rather short-range).

Lets see how many dumb thieves get caught-out by it.  :-)

Regards
Rudy Wieser

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#154814

On 2026-08-08 19:08, R.Wieser wrote:
> Andy,
> 
>> For Pixel 8/9/10 phones there's more to it than that;  even after the
>> phone is switched "off" or has shutdown due to low battery, there is
>> a low power processor which in the background transmits pre-
>> encrypted bluetooth beacons giving the phone's ID.
> 
> Carlos mentioned something similar.   Just don't lose you phone in any kind
> uf rural area (BLE is rather short-range).

Yes, the tracker device or internal system is very low power. With a 
button cell it lasts about 2 years. It listens for BT, or actually, BLE, 
in close proximity, meters, and then asks the other device, which is 
fully active, to please transmit my location to the tracking centre.

So it is feasible that some phones (not all) when powered off still 
power up this tracker device. They must tell this in the instructions, 
though.


> 
> Lets see how many dumb thieves get caught-out by it.  :-)

:-)



-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#154815

R.Wieser wrote:

> Lets see how many dumb thieves get caught-out by it.  🙂

Historically, police in the UK have refused act even if you tell them 
where your stolen phone is.  They've been given new powers to enter 
premises without a warrant and seize devices when they've been 
geotracked, but no sign of them using those powers ...

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#154818

Andy,

>> Lets see how many dumb thieves get caught-out by it.  ??
>
> Historically, police in the UK have refused act even if you tell
> them where your stolen phone is.

Thats not what I ment.   In the past dumb thieves have been caught by not 
switching their smartphones off, allowing police to place them in the direct 
vincinity of a break-in (by way of the famous-and-abhorred "drag-net" 
requests to phone companies).

I guess that even the dumb thieves now know to switch their phones off while 
they are breaking-in.   But as their switched-off phones now might be 
advertising themselves to other phones ...

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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#154819

On Sat, 8 Aug 2026 18:35:22 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> Historically, police in the UK have refused act even if you tell them 
> where your stolen phone is.  They've been given new powers to enter 
> premises without a warrant and seize devices when they've been 
> geotracked, but no sign of them using those powers ...

In Belgium, police don't act either. Not that long ago a guy got his
very expensive camera equipment stolen. There was an AirTag in his bag,
showing it was located in the apartment across of him, with only 4
people living there. Still, police can do nothing.

-- 
s|b

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#154803

Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> On 07/08/2026 18:57, Andy Burns wrote:
> > Bill Bradshaw wrote:
> > 
> >> Is there a way I can check that the Samsung Android phone is
> >> not being tracked when it is turned off (powered down)?
> > 
> > is that screen off, android still running in background
> > 
> > phone totally powered down by long press of power button
> > 
> > let's ignore any bluetooth trackable even when apparently off modes
> 
> Any idea how this is done? From 
> <https://oppostore.co.uk/blog/locate-a-Lost-Cell-Phone-that-is-Turned-OFF>:
> 
> "How to find lost phone which is switched off using IMEI number?
> 
> IMEI number is basically an identity code of the phone that helps 
> locating even when one?s phone is off. This 15-digit code comes with 
> unique form for every smartphone and is mostly written on the box or 
> inside packaging. It can be provided to the police to help locating the 
> phone if it is misplaced or lost."

  I would take this article with a grain of salt. Note that the header
of the paragraph mentions "switched off", but the actual paragraph only
talks about "misplaced or lost", i.e. not neccesarily switched off.

  Also the (14 April 2022) article is outdated. For example the "Method
2: Using Google" no longer works, because the 'Your Timeline' data is
now (since quite a long time) on the *device* instead of in your
account, so you can only use 'Your Timeline' when you have the device
which does the tracking (i.e. your phone/tablet) in your hand.

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#154804

Frank Slootweg wrote:

> I would take this article with a grain of salt. Note that the header
> of the paragraph mentions "switched off", but the actual paragraph only
> talks about "misplaced or lost", i.e. not neccesarily switched off.

Here it is from the horse's mouth

<https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9338817#zippy=%2Cstep-find-offline-devices-and-devices-without-power>

If "step 4" doesn't automatically open up, then click on the twisty to 
expand it ...

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#154820

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote:
> 
> > I would take this article with a grain of salt. Note that the header
> > of the paragraph mentions "switched off", but the actual paragraph only
> > talks about "misplaced or lost", i.e. not neccesarily switched off.
> 
> Here it is from the horse's mouth
> 
> <https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9338817#zippy=%2Cstep-find-offline-devices-and-devices-without-power>
> 
> If "step 4" doesn't automatically open up, then click on the twisty to 
> expand it ...

  FTR, I don't doubt your/the_Pixel story in any way, I doubt the OPPO
story.

  As Carlos explained, what an item-tracker can do with a button cell, a
phone can do when it's (not quite) 'powered off' with a near-empty
battery.

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#154840

On 08/08/2026 20:06, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
>> Frank Slootweg wrote:
>>
>>> I would take this article with a grain of salt. Note that the header
>>> of the paragraph mentions "switched off", but the actual paragraph only
>>> talks about "misplaced or lost", i.e. not neccesarily switched off.
>>
>> Here it is from the horse's mouth
>>
>> <https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9338817#zippy=%2Cstep-find-offline-devices-and-devices-without-power>
>>
>> If "step 4" doesn't automatically open up, then click on the twisty to
>> expand it ...
> 
>    FTR, I don't doubt your/the_Pixel story in any way, I doubt the OPPO
> story.

Looks like it should be doubted. From 
<https://www.carlcare.com/ng/tips-detail/track-stolen-phone-with-imei-number/>

"Is it possible to track a phone if it is turned off?

No, IMEI tracking requires the phone to be turned on and connected to a 
cellular network."
-- 
Jeff

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#154843

Jeff Layman wrote:

> Looks like it should be doubted. From <https://www.carlcare.com/ng/tips- 
> detail/track-stolen-phone-with-imei-number/>
> 
> "Is it possible to track a phone if it is turned off?
> 
> No, IMEI tracking requires the phone to be turned on and connected to a 
> cellular network."

So you trust a generic page, from a company that nobody outside of 
Nigeria ever heard of, above the actual manufacturer of three specific 
models which has added the feature and described how it works?

There's no helping some people ...

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#154847

On 09/08/2026 16:10, Andy Burns wrote:
> Jeff Layman wrote:
> 
>> Looks like it should be doubted. From <https://www.carlcare.com/ng/tips-
>> detail/track-stolen-phone-with-imei-number/>
>>
>> "Is it possible to track a phone if it is turned off?
>>
>> No, IMEI tracking requires the phone to be turned on and connected to a
>> cellular network."
> 
> So you trust a generic page, from a company that nobody outside of
> Nigeria ever heard of, above the actual manufacturer of three specific
> models which has added the feature and described how it works?

The Oppo page didn't describe how it worked with the phone turned /off/, 
which is why I asked the question in my OP as to how it was done.

> There's no helping some people ...

Your 15.37 post yesterday said that Pixel 8/9/10 phones had a low-power 
processor which used a Bluetooth beacon even when the battery was dead, 
so the phone's ID could be picked up by a nearby Android phone. At the 
end, you added "However it seems that Samsung phones haven't got that 
functionality, so "no" may well be the correct answer."

Well, I hedged my bets too by giving two opposite comments (I hadn't 
noticed that it was a Nigerian webpage. I'd have doubted its veracity 
too if I had).

As it happens, at 
<https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/what-google-find-my-device-is-and-when-it-is-useful/> 
it notes the Bluetooth beacon is present in Pixel 8+ phones, but also 
states that it is available with the Samsung Galaxy S24+. That page is 
worth reading as it includes the requirements for those beacons to work 
effectively, including belonging to the Find My Device network.

-- 
Jeff

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#154844

Jeff,

> No, IMEI tracking requires the phone to be turned on and connected to
> a cellular network."

Not really.

The IMEI is just a number, which can be copied into the BLE beacon, to be 
transmitted when the beacon gets pinged.

Heck, I could allow a smartphone to be "IMEI tracked" by printing the number 
on a sticker and put it on the back of the phone, for everyone to eyeball. 
:-)

regards,
Rudy Wieser

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#154851

On 2026-08-09 17:49, R.Wieser wrote:
> Jeff,
> 
>> No, IMEI tracking requires the phone to be turned on and connected to
>> a cellular network."
> 
> Not really.
> 
> The IMEI is just a number, which can be copied into the BLE beacon, to be
> transmitted when the beacon gets pinged.
> 
> Heck, I could allow a smartphone to be "IMEI tracked" by printing the number
> on a sticker and put it on the back of the phone, for everyone to eyeball.
> :-)

I was going to say this, you saved me e-ink :-)

IMEI tracking in the traditional way, which means asking the telephone 
network provider to check their databases in their towers, does not work 
if the phone is off. The last location is all that can be  found.

But the other system based in BLE might know the IMEI location, if they 
choose to include that number in the protocol. I do not know.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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